Armchair



Aug. 30, 1932. w. J. JOHNSON 1,374,539

ARMGHAIR Filed March 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 30, 1932. w. .J. JOHNSON 1,874,539

ARMCHAIR Filed March 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER J. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'I'O JOHNSON CHAIR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS i ARMCHAIR Application filed March 26,1930. Serial No. 439,168.

This invention relates to arm chairs. One of the objects of my invention is to provide an arm chair having a rigid back and having arms mounted solely on the back and wherein means is provided for pivotally mounting the arms and back relatively to the seat so as to permit the arms and back as a unit yieldingly to tilt backwardly relatively to the seat so that the occupant of the chair may, without lifting the feet from the floor, leanbackwardly into various positions, and in any of which the arms and back are supporting naturally and freely; and whereby also the arms of the chair assist in supporting the body in correct posture.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an arm chair having a rigid back and having arms mounted solely on the back, wherein means is provided for pivotally mounting the arms and back as a unit rela tively to the seat so as to permit the arms and back yieldingly to tilt backwardly relative to the seat so that the occupant of the chair may lean backwardly in various positions, and in any which positions the arms and back are supported naturally and freely, and wherein also the arms of the chair assist in supporting the body in correct posture.

Yet another object of my invention resides in providing an arm chair constructed and arranged so that the occupant may'sit in the chair with his feet firmly on the floor and may lean backwardly into various positions of torso posture, the arrangement of the arms of the chair being such as to support the arms in a relaxed, natural position while the occupant is leaning rearwardly, and in such a mannerthat the arms are maintained in the same natural position relative to the body.

Yet another object of my invention resides in providing an arm chair having rigid arms and a rigid back pivotally tiltable rearwardly with respect to the seat of a chair and wherein means is providedfor vertically adjusting the arms and back with respect to the i seat soas to provide an adjustable arm support for persons of varying torso characteristics.

These andother objects of my invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following specification when taken in connection with the following drawings. p

The accompanying drawings illustrate a selected embodiment of the invention and the -viewstherein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail front perspective view of the improved chair.

Fig. 2 is a detail side perspective view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the improved chair showing an occupant seated therein with the chair in tilted position.

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the chair showing the manner in which the occupant may shift his position.

In the accompanying drawings I have illus trated one type of my improved arm chair. In the illustration I have shown the chair as comprising a supporting base 5 including a plurality of outwardly extending feet 7 sup ported on casters 6. The supporting legs 7 are adapted to support a seat 9, and to this end the base is provided with the usual threaded nut adapted to receive the screw 8 rigidly supported or carried by a casting secured to the underside of the seat 9. Means is provided for adjusting the vertical height "of the seat 9 with respect to the supporting v 1egs7.

In the present case the arms and back as a unit, and the seat, are arranged to have relatlve tllting movement as the occupant leans backwardly in the chair. In the present instance this relative tilting movement between the back and arms as a unit and the seat is accomplished byhaving the seat arranged stationary with respect to the base 7 and the back and arms tiltable relatively to the seat, H but obviously the invention is not so limited. One of the distinguishing features of my invention resides in the fact that the seat and back do not tilt rearwardly as a rigid unit as in the case of a common present-day type of tiltable arm chair.

In the present instance I have shown the rigid back of the chair as comprising two outer vertical side members or rails 11 and 12, and upper and bottom cross rails 13 and 14 and back slats 15 connecting to the upper 100 the back is free to tilt yieldingly and lower rails 13 and 14, respectively. The

outer vertical rails 11 and 12 are rigidly connected to a cross su port 16 to which a member having lugs 1 and 18, Fig. 2, is connected. A casting or connecting member 19 is pivoted to the main casting or seat support at 20 and to the lugs 1718 at 21'22 respectively. The hand-nut 23 has operative engagement with a screw member 24 to efi'ect 'tiltable adjustment of the back; A spring 25 having an adjusting wheel 26 is operative-- ly connected to the pivotal member 19 to providetension on the chair back to hold it nor mally in vertical position. When an occu- 7 supports and leans backwardly into 'various posture positions, the arms of the chairnot only support a portion of the weightjof the occupant but also tend to maintain the body or'torsoo'f the occupant in correct sitting posture. These arms are supported by the braces -or supports 29 which are preferably curved,

as clearly shown in the various figures. The

lower parts 30 of these braces or supports are I rigidly fastened to the vertical members 11 and 12'and have their upwardly, outwardly, extending ends 31 engaging with and ,conmeeting to the bottom 32 of the arms 28.

Means is provided for adjusting the ver- 3 tical height of the arms 28 with respect'to the seat. 9. For carrying out this purpose the cross-supports 16 of the chair back are adjustably connected to the member which has lows: I vertical adjustment of the back and arms rela- 7 tively to the seat. This adjustment is mainthe lugs 17 and 18 thereon so as to permit the tained in any desired vertical position by means of a tightening member 27' as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It. will be evident that as a' result of the foregoing construction I have provided an 7 improved type of arm chair wherein the arms and back tilt as a rigid unit relatively to the seat and from a point below the surface of the seat, preferably from a point below the rearmost portion of the seat. By means of this construction an occupant may sit in the chair with both feet firmly upon the floor or other support and may then lean backwardly into 7 various desired positions and with his arms 'naturally and freely resting upon the arm supports. supported solely from the shiftable back and Due to the fact that the arms are may distribute his weight arms of the chair. a y 2. Anarm chair having supporting means,

not from the seat, it will be evident that when the occupant tilts backwardly the arms supported on the arm supports 28 will likewise shift backwardly and will be maintained in substantially the same relative osition with respect to the body whereby a ree and easy restful posture isprovided in leaning backwardly not only for the back itself,but also for the arms. When the occupant of the chair rests his arms on the arm supports and leans backwardly intovarious posture positions, the arms of the chair not only support "a portion of the weight of the occupant but also tend to maintain the body or torso of the occupant in correct sitting posture. 7

Furthermore, by reason of the vertical adjustability of-the arms with respecttothe seat, these arms can be adjusted so as to provide correct arm adjustment support for per sons having different torso structures there-- 'by assuring a natural position of the arms when on the arm supports 28.

Another advantage of my improved type of armconstruction resides in that in this chair the occupant may sit with his kneesjimmediately under the central drawer support of a desk, i. e., close up to the desk and while inthis position may tilt backwardly in the chair; This tilting movement is pos sible due to the fact that the seat or particu-c larly the front portion of the seat does not .rise to causethe legsto strikethe under side of the desk drawer support as in the case ofthe common type of tiltable arm chair. In prior constructions of arm chairs this is not possible because the seat tilts rearwardly and the feet and knees are positioned under the central drawersupport of a contour that will prevent the tilting of the seat, and

7 hence the tilting of the arm chair.

It must be apparent that my invention is applicable to various types of designs of arm chairsand is not restrlcted to the type herein shown. 7 V I I The invention is hereby claimed as fol '1. An arm chair having supporting means a seat, the arms and back comprising a rigid unit, means for mounting the seat on the supporting means, and a pivotal connection between the arms and back as a unit and the seat, the arms of the chair being wholly unsupported from the seat, said pivotal connection being located beneath the upper surface of the seat whereby the occupant may lean backwardly in the chair into various shifted positions of the torso and whereby n any such shifted position the occupant partly upon the a seat, the armsand back'comprising a rigid unlt, means for mounting the seat on the supporting means, and a pivotal connection between the arms andback as a unit and the seat, the arms of the chair being wholly unsupported from the seat, said pivotal connection being located beneath the upper surface of the seat whereby the occupant may lean backwardly in the chair into various shifted positions of the torso and whereby in any such shifted position the occupant may distribute his weight partly upon the arms of the chair, said arms being undercut to permit the leg of an occupant to project out through the side and under the overhanging arm whereby the occupant may turn laterally in the chair.

3. An arm chair having supporting means, a seat supported thereby, a rigid back having arms mounted solely thereon, and means for yieldingly and pivotally mounting the back and arms from a point below the upper surface of the seat to permit the back and arms to tilt rearwardly relativelv to the seat into various torso positions, and means for vertically adjusting the back and arms relatively to the seat to secure various easy arm-supporting adjustments for the arms of the chair.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WALTER J. JOHNSON, 

